Choosing Color....

So....today I wanted to touch on hair color. Natural hair takes and handles color better then relaxed her...that doesn't necessarily mean that natural hair is stronger then relaxed hair. I have heard people say that if u color ur natural hair then it is no longer natural...well I don't really agree with that because natural refers to the texture. My natural hair is brown but if I dye it red that will not change the fact that I have locs.
Now if u want to color your natural hair u must first decide what color u want. Sometimes this can be difficult especially if ur hair is dark and u want a drastic change. There are those that will bleach their hair in order to bring it up to the color they want immediately. I don't think there is anything wrong with that as long as u know what u are doing. Bleach is very harsh on the hair whether natural or relaxed. Bleach will break ur hair off and/or burn ur scalp.
After u have figured out the color that u want u have to make sure that u know how to apply it. I don't think there is anything wrong with box color as long as u know how to apply it. The boxes normally have directions that are easy to follow and it is important that u follow them to a "t". You also want to make sure u have enough. Sometimes when u have natural it tends to be thicker then what ur relaxed hair would have been which means that u would want to purchase at least 2 boxes. Also make sure that if u have gray hair that the color covers gray. If the color that u purchase does not have gray coverage then u run the risk of having the gray hair to have a different color then the rest of ur hair.
Now if u feel that u want blonde hair, you do not have to bleach it...u can buy a blonde color which will lift ur hair to blonde without as much damage as bleach. If u want a very bright color(like red) then u may have to take the color up to blonde first and then cover with a rinse. A rinse does not damage the hair because it only stains the hair. A rinse will not have the same effect as permanent color.
If u are not sure how to color ur own hair and u choose to have the color done by a stylist...make sure that u disclose to the stylist what color u are trying to achieve and let him/her know if u have ever had problems with color before.
The most important thing to remember is that color can enhance ur appearance when done correctly.

Childrens Hair

So I have been seeing a lot of little girls with natural hair and even some little boys with locs and i think that is a very beautiful thing. Both of my girls are natural and they like their hair...neither of them have ever expressed wanting to have straight hair. Working in a salon I see a lot of little girls (4 yrs old and up) that have relaxers and they cry and don't want to sit under the dryer...to me it is a little sad, but some people don't want to manage a child's natural hair. But i think that if people would just take the time to try it they would see that it is really not that hard to do. In most cases you can train a child's hair to do what you want it to do.

If u need some tips on kids hair or if u have questions about how to style ur child's hair...leave them in the comments section....

Eventful Weekend

Well I cant say it was just an eventful weekend because the whole week was good....my sister came in town and the Embracing Your Beauty Event was this weekend. I met some nice people and of course I did some networking.
Finally got to meet some of my fb friends and talk to some people about hair....and made some good contacts......

Picking a Stylist

I see so many times on fb people telling their hair horror stories and sometimes I think that some of them could have been avoided if a couple of key questions were asked....
Even as a stylist I feel that there are questions that people should ask me that they sometimes don't.

First, when u are looking for a stylist whether its on fb, craigslist, google, flyer, or phonebook...u need to know if the stylist specializes in Natural Hair...reasons: 1. u can run into someone that has seen some natural hair techniques done or seen some youtube videos and just copies what they see 2. for some stylist "natural" means more then one thing (ie. braids, relaxed hair without weave, or press and curl). So u have to be clear...if u want a twist out ask what kind of twist out do they do or which they are familiar with....

Secondly, when u talk to a new stylist make sure u ask what types of products or styling tools they use on natural hair. For those stylist that don't specialize in natural hair they may not buy products for natural hair because it isn't something that they do on a regular basis. U want to make sure that if u want a blow out or a iron out that the stylist uses ceramic styling tools...u don't want to make the mistake of having someone burn ur hair out or cause heat damage.

Thirdly, u want to make sure that u ask all the questions that u are curious about. U should never just sit in a chair and say I don't know what I want or what to do with my hair so u can just do what u want. The result of that may leave u very unhappy. If u are not sure what a stylist can do or what they know about natural hair then asking for a consult first is not a bad thing....they may also want to do a consult before they go forward with styling ur hair. There is nothing wrong with asking question and any good stylist will welcome the questions and answer them. Also a good stylist is not afraid to admit that they just don't know something.....

These just a few things that u might want to think about....deciding to go natural is hard and the journey can be harder for some so the last thing u need is a stylist that isn't knowledgeable.

Sidenote: If the Natural Hair Stylist has a relaxer u might be sitting in the wrong chair.....

Contest

Well I have decided to do some networking thru doing a contest/giveaway....the winner will be picked randomly and the prize will be 50% off of any service. Hopefully through this my blog will flourish and I will be able to meet and help some people through their natural journey....

If there is a topic u would like to learn about or something u would like for me to discuss leave a comment and i will do my best to help.....

Starting my daughters locs

So I have decided to loc my 7 yr old daughters hair. she already has long hair and she doesn't really care for it. Sometimes I want to do it so that she will not feel left out. I have locs(for now!) and so does her dad and her younger sister has very curly/kinky hair so she wears a lot of twist and twist outs. My 7 yr old on the other hand has wavy hair that does not have that much of a curl to it. Sometimes she says that she wants her hair to look like mine and I decided that now would be a good time to do it. She doesn't like to have her hair washed, combed, or brushed...she doesn't like her hair braided, in more then 2 ponytails, nor does she ever want it in her face. So this seemed like the most logical solution. Because of her hair texture and the length of her hair we are starting from braids. It has taken 2 days for me to get 3/4 of it finished and so far it is looking pretty good. I didn't bother with making them very tight because i want there to be good room to twist when they start to grow out. I am not looking forward to twisting her hair at the roots each week but I will do it. I didn't put any product on her hair because I don't want them to start off with build up. I want her hair to be clean...so yes it is a little(actually a lot) frizzy right now but I will get that all straightened out in the coming weeks. I will be sure to give updates and post pics(as soon as I take some good ones and figure out how to upload them on to the blog) along with her thoughts on the process as we go.....
Hopefully this will be a liberating experience for her...........

Styling ur T.W.A

After the BC some women have dreams of how they will style their newly natural hair. Even though they may not be able to see what the true texture will be they have seen their share of pics of long, short, and colored natural hair. But they haven't yet realized that they may not be able to achieve those same hair style.
Even if u don't have the texture that u thought u might have it is okay because there are still things that u can do with that teeny weeny afro.
The first step is to fine a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. U want to make sure that your hair is well moisturized. Buy a good daily moisturizer. There are a few shampoos and conditioners that I like( Garnier, Herbal Essence, L'Oreal). When it comes to moisturizers i stick with the old faithfuls(grease, Pink Oil, Shea Butter). Even though i like these and they worked well in my free form natural hair I have to say that u have to find whatever works best for you.
When it comes to styling a t.w.a u have to think simple. You may not have that much hair so there is no real need for a lengthy daily routine. You may only be able brush it, comb it, and add a moisturizer to define the curls.
During this stage accessories will definitely be your best friend along with a nice color. Earrings and light makeup might also help complete your look.
The most important thing is to have fun and embrace the beauty that comes along with the freedom of natural hair......

The Big Chop

I will try to do a post that offers hair tips each Sunday along with my general post. I have somewhat of a list that i am going to work from so I will start at the Top with the Big Chop....





So I want to know why is it so hard for some women to give up those raggedy relaxed ends. I can understand if u have 1/2 inch of new growth and ur hair is relatively healthy. But what I don't understand is if u have 1 inch of ratty relaxer...


Believe me I know there is a lot of pressure on black girls and black women to have long hair but is it really necessary? Some people will never have long hair...shoulder length might be as far as u go(lol). But when the hair is unhealthy it doesn't matter if it sweeping across the floor....one of the goals of going natural is to have healthy hair. So why not just CUT it. I have had long hair and I know that people look at u differently when u have long flowing tresses' as opposed to a tight little afro. But wearing natural hair should be a symbol of ur individualism and ethnic pride.


So I say if u have been having a hard time deciding what to do that u should just go for it....let ur beauty shine through! Show the world that u are a proud black women full of self-love....





*sidenote- u will feel so much better after u let go of the past(relaxer)


NHbN

I Love the way my Hair Looks!

So there is something that has been bothering since I December. I have to say since Dec. because I think that it always happened but not on the same level. Im talking about hair discrimination. In December I started working in a rather small shop with 2 other stylist. One does braids and relaxed hair and the other does relaxed hair so that leaves me the only one with natural hair that does only natural hair. Of course I get the usual stares but I also get alot of sly remakes and a couple of my clients have felt the stares. I LOVE my hair in its natural state and I am beginning to LOVE my locs, that being said I also like relaxed hair....I dont have a problem with the way that anyone wears thier hair. So many times I think that women with relaxed hair are afraid that women with natural hair are going to tie them down and preach them into going natural. My main concern is that my hair is healthy and that my clients have a healthy head of hair.
But the thing that gets me is the children. I have two daughter that have totally different hair and I have totally different hair from theirs. I have 2 other people in my family that are natural so I think just like anything else I have the responsibility as a parent to expose my children to different things. I have to expose them to different foods, religions, people, and different hair. Yes I grow up as most of us did, with a relaxer but I have had colored hair, straight hair, curly hair, weaved hair, and no hair....and I will allow my children to have that same freedom with their hair. I just think that it is sad that a child looks at me and says "why do u want ur hair like that?", "why don't u want straight hair?", or the best one "I don't want my hair like that!".
More then once i have had to explain to a child and the occasional adult, in the shop, that my Nappy hair is not going to rub off on them. It is like they are scared of my hair....I'm not sure why, because it doesn't bit and it isn't like natural Hair is a virus that u can catch.
I will continue to educate those that stare and ask ridiculous questions because if i don't at least attempt to change their views they will be trapped in that ignorance for a lifetime.....